Running
by Arwen4eva
Summary: Sir Killian Jones is assigned to be the protector of the rebellious Princess Emma who likes to run away from the caste on a daily basis to escape her overwhelming life. But this time, the Princess does not expect for danger to lurk. I DO NOT OWN ONCE UPON A TIME! One-shot.


**A/N: This story is based off of an edit I saw of Instagram which was originally from Tumblr I believe (credit to: andhewonherheart for their edit and AU idea!). I simply could not resist writing a fic for it so here I am! This is only a one-shot as well! Apologies for any typos present!**

 **Anyone else feeling a bit sorry for Belle for giving up Gideon? I know I am... so many tears. It is just those words "** ** _best chance"_** **that get to me - considering all of the parallels surrounding it (Snow/Emma, Emma/Henry and now Belle/Gideon too!) Next week though... PRINCESS EMMA AT LAST! I wonder where our man with the hook will fit in!**

 **Anyway, enjoy the story!**

 **Keep Smiling!**

Palace life could be extremely stifling for someone as adventurous as Emma - even if she had grown up in said life. Running away from the castle is something the Princess does quite frequently - and she is always brought back by the man her parents hired as her protector.

Sir Killian Jones. A man that Emma finds to be intolerable since he always finds her and return her home.

But right now, Emma stands undisturbed in her spot within the woods and she feels as if a weight is momentarily lifted from her shoulders. The light of the early afternoon sun bounces around the trees and makes the colours of the large volume of flowers pop out compared to the bushes that surrounds them.

Emma crouches down next to a small patch of Middlemists and plucks one from its stem. She raises it to her nose, inhaling its signature sweet scent.

"Running away from the castle again, Princess?"

Emma groans loudly and stands up, spinning around to face her protector.

"Can you not just leave me alone, Jones?" Emma huffs, twirling the Middlemist bloom between her fingers in her annoyance.

"You know full well that I cannot do that, Princess. I believe you would despair if I did." Killian says, his left hand resting on the hilt of his sword which sits in its scabbard on his hip. "Your parents hired me to protect you and return you to the castle grounds upon every occasion that you believe you can escape."

Emma raises an eyebrow and crosses her arms over her chest; well, as much as her pink cloak will allow her to.

"So what are you going to do now?" she questions. "Drag me back to the castle like you do every time I want a breather from the life I am destined to lice until the day I die? Well, I have news for you, Jones; that will not be happening today. Now, if you will excuse me."

Emma turns back around and begins to walk further into the woods; towards a small lake that resides largely undisturbed other than the few swans who choose to glide slowly across the surface of the water. Killian loyally follows her, sighing at the constant stubbornness; even if he does find it endearing at times.

"If you do not wish to follow me, turn back around." Emma says over her shoulder.

"The reason I am out here is to return you back to the palace where your parents know that you are safe, Princess." Killian says, scanning the trees surrounding them for potential dangers.

Emma stops and turns to face Killian. "Tell me, Jones. Do you see anything dangerous?"

Killian ceases his scanning to look at Emma. "Just because you cannot see the danger, Princess, does not mean that it is not present in this moment."

Emma rolls her eyes. "It is perfectly safe - it always has been, Jones."

The Princess turns and continues to walk to the small lake, opting to go off of the path to make her journey quicker. Killian takes a few steps to follow until the sound of snapping in quick succession swiftly catches his attention. The Knight draws his sword, trying to locate the potential threat.

It is when he turns a full circle that he realises that he has allowed Emma to leave his watchful gaze.

"Bloody hell." he says aloud before running off in the direction she had taken.

A mere few moments later, a distressed and pained shout reaches his ears and he ends up sprinting. He stops immediately when he comes across her thick cloak laying in a heap of the muddy ground; the pink now stained by the wet mud.

"Emma?" Killian shouts out, titles and protocol be damned.

"Kil-!" Emma's shout abruptly stops and he quickly begins to panic.

Killian runs to his left, in the direction of Emma's shout. A minute later, he is skidding to a stop, raising his word and setting a neutral expression on his face.

A filthy ruffian is holding Emma in front of him, an arm clinging tight to her waist whilst the other holds a long, thin blade against her slender neck.

"Drop the sword, pretty boy." the ruffian says.

"I cannot do that, mate." Killian says with a level voice.

The ruffian quickly swipes his blade up, making Emma hiss loudly as a lengthy cut appears on her cheek and immediately starts bleeding.

"Drop the sword." the ruffian commands again.

"Not a chance." Killian replies, inching closer. "You know who she is, mate."

"Of course, I do. A princess would fetch such a hefty price wherever I go - perhaps a brothel? Many a man could claim that they have bedded a princess; just imagine how popular, how busy, she would be."

"Drop your weapon." Killian orders, taking a step forward now; disgusted thanks to the way he is talking about Emma.

"How much do you think they will pay for this beauty? A virgin princess could see me through the rest of my days." The ruffian continues pressing the blade deeper into the skin of Emma's neck. Her breathing is extremely shallow to avoid being cut.

"Remove the blade from her throat and back away." Killian says, his voice lethally calm.

"Or what? You take one more step and I slit her throat; goodbye Princess Emma." the ruffian says before laughing.

Emma hisses once again as the blade slips and cuts her just above the hollow of her throat.

"Stay still, Emma." Killian says. "Any movement will inflict injury."

"I-" Emma tries.

"Shut it." the ruffian says, pushing the blade closer. "You do not get to speak, your highness."

"Speak to her like that again and I cut out your tongue." Killian says, sharply.

The ruffian laughs again. "And how are you going to do that from over there?"

Killian takes a step towards them, his focus on Emma more than the man who holds her captive. He notices how her weight is shifted more onto her right leg and he feels his anger grow; at both himself for not keeping an eye on Emma, and the ruffian before him for harming her.

"If you drop your weapon now, I may let live." Killian says, taking another step forwards. His left hand slowly goes up to the back of his belt, gripping the small throwing blade there.

"You will not hurt me. I can kill the Princess quicker than you can lay a hand on me." the ruffian says, bearing his yellowed, decaying teeth.

He presses the blade firmer against her throat and Emma lets out a small sob as it makes the cut already there sting even more.

"It is alright, Emma." Killian says, crouching down now to place his sword on the ground. "Just stay completely still for me."

Killian stands back up. The ruffian takes a step back, dragging Emma with him and she yelps.

"Get on your knees." the ruffian orders Killian but he does not move, the throwing blade in his hand now. "Get on your knees!"

"I will not be doing that, mate." Killian sys and quickly throws the blade.

The ruffian screeches as the blade connects with his hand, forcing him to drop his blade and step back to clutch his wounded hand. Emma falls to the floor and Killian picks up his blade and runs at the ruffian. His sword plunges into the ruffian's stomach roughly.

"No one hurts my Princess, and gets away with it." Killian mumbles to him before withdrawing his sword and stepping back.

Killian watches the ruffian fall before dropping his sword and rushing to Emma and assisting her so she can stand up. Her left ankle gives out as she applies some pressure to it and she falls into Killian.

"Easy there, Emma." he says, grabbing her arms to stabilise her. He looks around for a moment and spots a fallen tree. "Come over and sit down."

Killian guides the Princess to the fallen tree and helps her to sit down. He then crouches down in front of her once he knows that she is comfortable.

"What happened to your ankle?" he asks, pulling out a cloth from the small satchel at his side. He pours some water on it before running it gently over her cheek.

Emma sharply inhales a breath when he makes contact with her skin. Their eyes make contact and hold it for a few moments, Killian's hand hovering just above her cheek. The spell, however, is broken when Emma clears her throat.

"I was walking when he suddenly shoved into me which made me lose my cloak and he dragged me here." Emma explains briefly but Killian can fill in the details.

Killian nods and moves to clean the cut on Emma's throat.

"Thank you, Killian." Emma's voice is incredibly soft and quiet but Killian catches it thanks to his close proximity to her. "And, I am sorry."

"There is no need for you to be sorry, Emma." Killian says, sitting back on his heels. "This may just help you realise that you should not be out here unaccompanied."

Emma shoots a glare at him before standing and begins to limp in the direction of the castle.

Killian sighs. "You will damage that ankle more if you attempt to walk on it right now, Princess."

Emma says nothing, not even acknowledging him and continues to limp. Killian throws his head back for a moment before retrieving his blade and sliding it back into its scabbard.

"Princess." he calls out, though she has not gone very far. "Princess, stop." Emma keeps limping. "Emma."

That gets her attention. Emma stops and turns around, grabbing nearby tree to keep herself steady.

"What, Jones?" Emma asks, wincing.

Killian simply walks forwards and suddenly scoops Emma into her arms; his left arm cradling her legs as his right goes around her back.

"What on earth do you think you are doing?!" Emma exclaims, grabbing hold of Killian's shoulders quickly in her panic.

"My job." Killian says and begins the walk back to the palace. "Hold on, princess. There will be no more running for you."

...

As soon as Emma was able, she was once again running from her constricting palace-life. Killian followed her every time she did run.

As time passed, Emma became less and less frustrated by Killian's company - finding herself enjoying it instead. Killian was no longer feeling as if being Emma's protector was a chore; instead, her thought of it as a pleasure instead.

Eventually, when Emma needed to escape, she found him and they went out together. It even got to the point where if Killian saw Emma even slightly overwhelmed, he would fetch her cloak, drape it around her shoulder and take her to the small lake where they would sit side-by-side and watch the swans; the place that earned Emma her nickname of ' _Swan'_ from Killian.

It was in these moments that Emma and Killian opened their hearts to one another and allowed their love to blossom. It was always Emma's thing to run. Running was something that made her feel more at ease with everything. But now, with Killian at her side as she gazes across the calm surface of the lake in front of her...

Maybe it is time to stop.

 **End note: Please review! :)**


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